Review of Robocop Trilogy (box set)

Introduction

Wow, Robocop, a character that was an integral part of my adolescence. The first time I saw the original movie, I was blown away by the sheer audacity and verve of Paul Verhoeven`s risky direction. He had created a film that was so anti-capitalism and so not Hollywood, that by all rights it shouldn`t have worked, yet it was an amazing smash. You can bet that I looked forward to the sequels, and I was even tempted by the merchandise. In fact, I can mirror the movie reviews by summarising the games that I played. Yes, on my humble Speccy, I had all three Robocop games. The first, was gaming perfection, with perfectly balanced gameplay, a tough but forgiving difficulty curve and a great soundtrack. You couldn`t put the joystick down. Robocop II was as equally polished, but it wasn`t addictive, the magic was missing from the game and playing it was a cold, technical affair that wasn`t in the slightest, rewarding. Robocop III, was a big pile of stinky, vomit soaked pants. Ironic really, when you look at the movies.

The concept of Robocop is an inspired one. Often copied, especially in my favourite anime, Cyber City Oedo 808 and especially AD Police, the idea of man resurrected as machine is a chilling and visceral one. When Robocop first came out, not long after Terminator, audiences were ready for such a violent vision of the future, and consequently the film did well. After 15 years, has the film and it`s sequels aged well?
Taking them one at a time.

Robocop

I`ve been waiting for this particular title on DVD for a long time, and I haven`t been disappointed. Unfortunately, the release as part of a trilogy is unfortunate. Consumer choice has been ignored in favour of off-loading the sequels, but more of that later. As for the main feature, read on.

Sometime in the not too distant future, corporations are more powerful than government and the profit motive is paramount. Omni Consumer Products has entered into an agreement with Detroit City to run its police force. Intent on optimising profit an promoting OCP products and paving the way for the development of Delta City, the police force is under funded and under siege by a rapidly escalating crime wave. The police are being mismanaged and are on the verge of striking. Into this mayhem walks Officer Alex Murphy, recently transferred to a crime black spot. On his first day, he and his new partner, Anne Lewis attempt to apprehend criminal mastermind, Clarence Boddicker, who is responsible for cop killings and drug crime in Detroit. Things go wrong and Murphy is brutally slain.

OCP continues on regardless with its crime prevention policy, and in a bid to automate law enforcement, introduce a new product, Robocop. Robocop is touted as the future of law enforcement, titanium armour and cybernetic intelligence will give a lifetime of policing. Robocop will safely combat the worst of criminals with little danger to himself. Initial trials of the cyborg prove effective and he performs admirably in a variety of situations. Troubles arise when he encounters Lewis and she claims to recognise him. These problems are exacerbated when he arrests one of Boddicker`s associates and he is again recognised. Hidden memories are revealed to Robocop and investigating further he discovers that he is, what is left of Murphy. Robocop is in the unique position of having to investigate his own murder. However, factions in OCP who want nothing more than to shut down the Robocop programme by any means necessary oppose him. Can he unravel the conspiracy as the city falls apart around him and before he is destroyed?

Robocop II

The first sequel, and standards have started to slip. The metal suit shines a bright blue now, and Robocop has taken to wearing red lippy. Coming off the back of such a good film as the original, it would always have been hard for it to live up to its illustrious predecessor, but what resulted was to put it frankly, an unsatisfying muddle. Aged seventeen, and forgiving in my adolescence, I enjoyed the film, but now with the distance of years and a shell of cynicism, I am far more critical of Robocop II.

OCP is still trying to get Delta City of the ground, but crime is rife in Detroit and the underpaid police are on strike. The city is in debt to OCP and the Mayor is set to default on his loans. OCP wait to take control of the city so that Delta City will be built on their terms, Fortunately, Robocop is still on duty and keeping the streets relatively safe. However, a powerful nemesis has arisen in the form of the drug lord, Cain who has plans to addict the populace to his cheap narcotic. After being dismembered by Cain rebuilt and reprogrammed by a duplicitous OCP and finally freeing his programming, Robocop has a violent and explosive showdown with Cain and apprehends the mortally injured villain. You would think that would be the end of the movie, but OCP has other plans. Using Cain`s grey matter, they construct a successor to Robocop, the eponymous Robocop II. A super-cop who will finally pacify Detroit, OCP are counting on this new product to finally green-light Delta City. Unfortunately, Cain`s addiction resurfaces and the cyborg goes on a rampage. Only Robocop can stop him.

Robocop III

By some strange mix up, it seems that my copy of this film wasn`t included in the pack. So I find myself unable to review it.

OK, to keep body and soul together, and for the sake of completion, here goes. I first saw Robocop III in the cinema. I guess the 15 certificate should have warned me, but no, I got suckered into it. The second time I saw it, I was stuck in a hotel near Sellafield, during a stormy night with nothing to do but watch the TV. This is the third and categorically the final time I will watch this film. Never again, honest. Actually, I saw the disc the day after the film was broadcast on TV. It must be some kind of conspiracy.

Let`s see, OCP has been bought out by the ruthless Japanese Corporation, Kanemitsu and Delta City has finally got the go ahead. Unfortunately, some innocent families stand in the way of progress, so OCP hires some mercs to evict them. Cue scene of forlorn orphan clutching pet computer weeping as evil corporate types destroy her home. But don`t fret, as Robocop is at hand to fight the evildoers and safeguard these peoples` homes. Kanemitsu gets mad and sends some androids to finish Robo off, but Robo defeats them and saves the homes and has a touching moment empathising with the orphan and flies around in a jet pack and yadda yadda yadda. Do I really have to write about this crap?

Video

Robocop

A 1.85:1 transfer really showcases the film well. The film may not be in the original format, but it looks good here and little is lost. I prefer having the anamorphic transfer. Director Paul Verhoeven makes his US feature film debut here and totally blows the audience away. He creates a corporate world that meets a run down urban sprawl, which mirrors the merging of man and machine in the title character. He directs with a subtext as he explains on the commentary that makes you watch the film avidly. The film has a very realistic style and a rough style of direction that was no doubt necessitated by the low budget, it looks all the better for that. That said, the film does show some evidence of grain, but it suits the style of the film. The effects are quite good considering the age of the film and the stop motion animation of Ed 209 is sparsely used and fits with the comical nature of the character.

Robocop II

This film was directed by Irvin Kershner, yes the same man who directed The Empire Strikes Back. I don`t believe that. There must be two Irvin Kershners directing Hollywood films. That the same man directed such a great movie made this disjointed uninspiring mess is beyond belief. The picture is anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen. The FX are uniformly bad and more about that later.

Robocop III

A perfectly acceptable 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer is marred only by the movie. The FX are terrible. ED 209 doesn`t look bad. Fred Dekker directs. Didn`t he release `Me Israelites`? He should go back to music.

Audio

Robocop

Robocop has a DD 5.1 Soundtrack. The music by Basil Poledouris is brilliant, with a mechanical element that melds with soaring spiritual orchestrations that echo Murphy`s search for truth. It`s a neat touch where Robocop is first introduced he sounds very mechanical and his movements are emphasised with sounds of servos and motors, but as the film progresses and he learns more of his humanity, these mechanical sounds are lessened and his voice becomes less synthesised.

Robocop II

The sound is DD2.0 Stereo masquerading as Dolby Surround. I don`t know which exactly. The music by Leonard Rosenman is functional at best, most people will have turned the player off before they get to the choral singers belting out "ROBOCOP!" in soprano during the end credits and they should consider themselves lucky.

Robocop III

The box says Dolby Surround but my player says DD2.0 stereo. If the cast were yelling into a paper cup tied with a piece of string, I couldn`t care less. The music is a dire rehash of the original score.

Features

Robocop

Extras are all on this disc and all regard this movie, which is all well and good. First there are two versions, the theatrical cut and the ultra violent Director`s Cut. The Director`s Cut adds nothing to the story but ups the gore level a tad. It doesn`t really change the experience of the film. People have complained about extra pauses in the Director`s Cut necessitating "integrated" rather than "seamless" branching. This is what I noticed. The Original version has one layer transition that is well placed and unnoticeable. The DC has a pause where the footage changes for Kenney being blasted by ED 209, this footage continues until the natural layer transition. Later, before the big showdown at the steel mill, there is a further layer transition that accesses new footage. A final layer transition back to the original footage precedes the OCP showdown. These layer transitions necessitates further pauses. Yes, the DC has three, count them, three layer transitions. These pauses weren`t too distracting, but the way the DC has been implemented is a little clumsy.

To summarize the remaining extras, there is a decent audio commentary with Paul Verhoeven, writer, Ed Neumeier and producer Jon Davison. There are two featurettes made in 1987 regarding the making of Robocop, both of about 8 minutes in length. The recent Flesh and Steel documentary is some 40 minutes in length and is refreshingly honest in content, but lacks actor contributions. There are 4 deleted scenes plus footage from the directors` cut. A lot of this is in the form of production footage. There are 2 trailer for Robocop and a TV Commercial, plus 2 trailers for the sequels. There is a storyboard comparison with a Phil Tippet Commentary regarding the animation of ED 209, which lasts about 6 minutes. There are stills galleries with around 100 stills. Refreshingly, you don`t have to push any buttons, but you can watch the flow of stills with a nice soundtrack. Just sit back and enjoy. There is also a booklet with production notes for all three movies. The menu design for the first disc is quite good.

Robocop II

Extras are limited to the trailer.

Robocop III

If you really want to suffer you can watch the trailer.

Conclusion

Robocop

Peter Weller is Robocop and he is brilliant as the cyborg. Here the cyber movement is spot on and Weller is perfect in the role. You can empathise totally with the character as he attempts to recover his past and establish his humanity. Nancy Allen is Anne Lewis and she has a strong female role here to rival Ripley and Sarah Conner of the Terminator and Alien movies. It`s a shame that the character languished in the sequels. Daniel O`Herlihy is the Old Man, the head of OCP and plays his role with relish. Ronny Cox is the number 2 man at OCP, Dick Jones and clearly enjoys this bad guy persona. Kurtwood Smith is Clarence Boddicker and has fun creating a comic book villain perfect for the film.

Paul Verhoeven created a masterpiece in Robocop that works on many levels. A biting satire on the Reaganomics of the eighties, the corporations and yuppies who literally make killings are inspired. There is also Verhoeven`s Christ symbolism. Then there is the existential question of what is the soul? All this is in a short ultra violent, often very funny movie. The style of the movie is different from the usual Hollywood releases. The narrative is punctuated by Mediabreak broadcasts and spoof adverts that here contribute to the realism of the film as opposed to just being distracting in the sequels. This kind of film comes along very rarely, and should be enjoyed on its own merits. The story is brilliant, the direction sharp and the acting spot on. An essential movie in any collection. Robocop? I`d buy that for a dollar!

Content 10
Video 7
Sound 9
Extras 7
Overall 9

Robocop II

Peter Weller reprises his role as the mechanised Murphy, but something is lacking in his performance this time round. He doesn`t move as well in the robo suit, he has his shoulders and chest well back, and walks as if he`s showing off his robonads to best effect. He looks like Chris Eubank in armour. It`s a shame as he had it spot on in the first film. Nancy Allen returns as Lewis in an unflattering haircut and has little to do in this film. Daniel O`Herlihy plays the Old Man again, and attacks the role with verve, but the material he has to work with isn`t up to much. Felton Perry and Robert Do`Qui also return as Johnson and Sgt Reed. Tom Noonan is the villain of the piece, and he is remarkably uninvolved in his role. It looks as if his heart isn`t in it. This was around the time that kids became integral parts of action movies, and Robocop was no exception. Here Gabriel Damon played Hob, a mini drug lord. At least he got to curse and shoot big guns with the rest of them, and he got a touching death scene too.

There is so much wrong with this film. Kershner stated that rather than go for the satirical feel of the original, he wanted to make social commentary regarding the growth of crime. All well and good, but he tried to do too much. A heavier hand with the editing may have helped a little, as the film is too long at 110 minutes. But Kershner crammed too much into this. Not only is the muddle of a story explained above in this film, he also explores Murphy`s increasingly maudlin feelings, his obsession with his wife, and unresolved feelings towards Lewis. There is a technician who has a relationship of a sort with Robocop but she vanishes from the script after the first third of the film. The mayor is desperate to raise funds to save the city, various shenanigans happen at OCP corporate headquarters. Murphy has difficulties coming to terms with his reprogrammed directives, etc etc etc. The end result is that none of these sub-plots is resolved to the viewers` satisfaction and the whole film seems an inelegant mess.

The other big problem is stop motion animation. In the original movie, it was ED 209 who was animated this way and the limited budget made for some elegant editing. ED 209 was a comic character anyway and any shortcomings in the animation were easily explained away. Here the big baddie, Robocop II is wholly animated this way and the entire climactic battle with Robocop II is some 10 minutes of badly done stop motion. It really isn`t good enough for a movie made in 1990. Halfway through the fight, a voice in my head said, "It`s the wrong trousers Gromit!" and whatever interest I had left in the film just evaporated. For a good climax involving mechs and models watch 1986`s Aliens, when Ripley fights the queen Alien and then explain this dross. For once I have to say that something looks worse on DVD than on VHS. It`s clearly crap. Actually, the DVD has the more complete movie, having restored a scene that was culled in the VHS.

So Robocop II, despite my disillusionment having watched it on DVD after a few years, I still have a niggling soft spot for this film. It adds to the Robocop canon and does have sort of the same feel as the original. I`d watch this for nostalgic reasons solely, as it makes for a good mindless blast after going to the pub. Kershner took a potentially lucrative franchise and messed it up. But worse was going to come for our tin plated policeman.

Content 6
Video 8
Sound 7
Extras 1
Overall 6

Robocop III

Peter Weller has wisely buggered off to pastures new, but suffering for a third time are Nancy Allen as Lewis. She looks relieved when her character gets bumped off. Oh, Sorry if I spoilt it for you. Felton Perry returns as a decidedly old yuppie and Robert Do`Qui reprises his Sgt Reed. Rip Torn cashes his pay cheque by putting in a day`s work as the CEO. The rest are all decidedly Z-list actors, including the metal man himself, here played by Robert Burke, who? Mr Burke looks like a guy in an ill fitting metal suit and moves like one of those robotic dancers from the Top of the Pops of the early eighties.

Yes ladies and germs, it`s Touchy Feely Robocop. The future of law enforcement gets in touch with his emotions. A franchise that had such promise comes down to this. A cross between Police Academy 7 and the Power Rangers TV episodes, this is solely a vehicle to sell the Robocop merchandise in the back of the Argos catalogue. Getting rid of the violence and sticking in a vomit inducing `cute` kid who saves the day makes this a kids movie. But I wouldn`t inflict this on the spawn of Satan. Someone has stated that you could buy the multipack and sell off the inferior sequels. There is one flaw in that argument, where would you find a big enough moron to buy this dross by itself? I can`t really say anymore without using the foulest of language. If you`re wondering why I gave this a mark for content. Well I`m saving the coveted zero for something even worse than Robocop 3, yes there is something even more repugnant than this putrid rectal discharge of a movie. Beware the Robocop TV series. Now please don`t make me watch this again.

Content 1
Video 8
Sound 5
Extras 1
Overall 1

There you have it, the Robocop trilogy box set, one brilliant film, one mediocre movie and a pile of buffalo dung. I paid 28 quid for this and realistically I`m not hard done by. Robocop alone is worth £20 brand new, and since I liked the sequel originally, I don`t mind parting with £8 for it. The fact that I now have the third movie in my collection makes me hang my head in shame though. I hate and despise MGM now for making me house this dross in my collection, and if anyone asks, the movie glitches so bad it`s unplayable. But seriously, Robocop on DVD is a treat and a must have for any eighties aficionado like myself. A movie that defined a moment in time, Robocop is unforgettable and it`s such a shame that we weren`t allowed to buy it separately. If you`re gonna watch the trilogy, do the smart thing and watch it in reverse order as I did, that way you can watch the s*** turn to the sublime.